Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis press conferences stream live today at 3 p.m. ET

Giannis Antetokounmpo steps into the Miami Heat spotlight today with his first local media session at Kaseya Center.

What’s happening?

The Heat will stream two press conferences live on YouTube starting at 12:30 p.m. ET with new forward Bobby Portis, followed by Giannis Antetokounmpo at 3 p.m. ET. Both events take place at the team’s home arena in downtown Miami.

Why Giannis matters now

The arrival of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Portis marks the start of a new frontcourt chapter for Miami. Bam Adebayo, the Heat’s All-Star center, called the signings a step toward winning. “Biggest thing is we want to win,” Adebayo said Wednesday during ESPN’s ESPYs broadcast. “You can always be aligned with somebody who is about the right stuff and wanting to win.” Adebayo added that Giannis is a proven winner after leading the Milwaukee Bucks to the 2021 NBA championship.

How the move shakes up the East

The Bucks stumbled after their title run, including a stunning first-round exit to the Heat in the 2023 Eastern Conference playoffs. Miami, then the No. 8 seed, fell to the Denver Nuggets in the Finals. Last season Milwaukee missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The pairing of Giannis and Adebayo instantly gives Miami one of the league’s top frontcourts and two elite defensive anchors.

To balance the books, Miami sent Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis and a first-round pick to Milwaukee. The Heat still need to add depth elsewhere to round out the roster. Rumors persist that LeBron James could return to Miami, where he won two titles in four straight Finals from 2010 to 2014.

What to expect from the pressers

Antetokounmpo, Portis, team president Pat Riley and coach Erik Spoelstra are all expected to address the media. Spoelstra has already signaled excitement about the next chapter. Fans can watch the full sessions live on the Heat’s YouTube channel without a cable login.

The conferences cap a busy week for Miami as the franchise tries to recast itself around two franchise pillars-Giannis and Adebayo-while the rest of the roster is rebuilt.